Weekend watch: MXGP in Indonesia and Nicholls at Red Bud!

MXGP heads to the Semarang for their second leg of their Indonesian adventure as things hot up in the title race in both classes.

Tony Cairoli simply has to win this weekend after Herlings prevented the Italian gaining any points on him last time out. The gap is still only 12 points and if AC can win both motos this weekend, it will be six going into Loket in a couple of weeks, provided a Herlings gets second both times.

So, the 10th title is still on for Cairoli but questions remain about his thumb injury and how he will bounce back from the big mental blow Herlings delivered last weekend.

Pic: Ray Archer

In MX2 Prado is really putting the pressure on defending champion Pauls Jonass. The world champ did okay o race one last weekend but fell back to seventh place in a strange moto two and the Latvian now only has a seven point lead with Prado inching up every week now!

Jonass, besides that performance at the British GP, hasn’t shown the same form he did at the first three GPs. Jonass said he was going to put some thoughts in the right places this week in order to rediscover his form but Prado is riding high right now and must be seeing this weekend as his chance to perhaps take the red plate in MX2.

Calvin Vlaanderen is coming off his first ever GP win so confidence should be sky high, as should Ben Watson’s who had his best ever GP moto with second place in moto two- it’s almost impossible to separate Watson and Vlaanderen in the motos this year!

In America it is the dress rehearsal for the MXoN as Red Bud plays host to round seven of the US Nationals.

Eli Tomac lost his first overall this year at Southwick even he was the fastest guy out there again. But Marvin Musquin has been the only man showing any kind of similar pace to the Kawasaki rider and will need to win again at a Red Bud to have any chance on closing down the 32 points deficit he has to Tomac.

Ken Roczen was right in the middle of things in both 450 moto at the Southwick Lucas Oil national. Ken just does’t have the same fitness as the other riders at this time. Pic: Doug Turney

The rest meanwhile aren’t on the same pace with Roczen not back to his normal level and Baggett and Barcia not able to challenge for wins, after that the depth simply isn’t there like it used to be due to injuries and teams preference for choosing riders who prefer supercross racing.

In an extra boost to British interest British championship leader Jake Nicholls will be racing at Red Bud and don’t be surprised to seem him get into the top ten! Yes, Jake is ticking off his bucket list and racing Red Bud is a pretty good way to make your AMA National debut!

”Top ten hopefully, that would be alright,” Jake told us on his open-minded goals for Red Bud. “We will just see really, we’ll go and have fun and see where it takes me.”

Nicholls has been riding really well this year and if he is comfortable on the bike it wouldn’t surprise me to see the honest Brit surprise some Americans people with his speed and get a top ten overall.

Dylan Ferrandis seems to be the guy to beat in the 250 class right now when he gets a start, but it’s his teammate Aaron Plessinger who has a 23 point lead over Alex Martin in the title chase and these two seem to be the main two guys for the title. However, if the inconsistency continues, guys like Cooper and Forkner could well get back in amongst it!